Volvo facelifts the C30 (2009): first photos

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 08 September 2009 10:42 The pace of previews for the 2009 Frankfurt motor show gathers pace. Today it’s the turn of Volvo to show off its new, gently facelifted-for-2009 C30. The Swedes are trying to ‘sport up’ the C30, so there’s fresh front and rear styling, in line with the revised C70 and taking its inspiration from the S60 concept car.

Renault Initiale Paris stars at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

It may seem like a strange idea for Renault to launch its Initiale Paris premium sub-brand at a German motor show, but it could turn out to be quite an astute move. The French brand is hoping to take on the Germans with Initiale Paris, so showcasing this rather wonderful concept in Frankfurt is a clear signal of intent. Renault says this Initiale Paris concept previews the next generation Espace, but we can't help but see a massive dollop of Renault Avantime when we take a wander around the car.

BMW i3 Coupe Concept revealed

BMW has revealed the i3 Coupe Concept ahead of its debut at this week’s Los Angeles Auto Show, a 3-door version of the BMW i3. But what is clear is that BMW see a big future in small, economical city cars and the BMW i3 Coupe Concept is a slightly odd effort to inject a bit more flair in to the yet-to-arrive BMW i3. The i3 Coupe Concept is a plug-in EV with a maximum output of 170hp and an almost disappointing (for an electric motor) 174lb/ft of torque, which delivers drive to the back wheels through a single speed transmission (as you would expect for an EV).